Promens Zlín

The challenge

For the production of large structural parts with Sheet Molding Compound (SMC) technology, Promens Zlín was searching for a compression molding press that adequately met their production needs and could be located within their warehouse in a contingent space.

And that’s where our ability to be flexible came in to provide a plant that perfectly fits customers’ needs.

Solution advantages

We supplied Promens Zlín a downstroke 3000t press for SMC and other composites’ technologies. The moving plate is guided over the tie-bars through 8 hydraulic acted pads (two per column), which slide on the columns for improved parallelism during its movement, achieving high-quality finished products.

Four additional lateral hydraulic cylinders give active parallelism control through their counterforce. Each of them is individually piloted by a dedicated electro-proportional valve and equipped with a dedicated position transducer, which will provide feedback on the position of the cylinder. 

The electronic control of the press will thus also handle the active parallelism control based on the readings of these position transducers: high dynamic servo-valves, according to these readings, will activate the cylinders, controlling the stroke of each, stabilizing and controlling the parallelism of the upper platen throughout its working stroke as well as during stand-still.

The real challenge, however, was to make a press with 3.400 x 2.500 mm platens that would be inserted inside a 6.400 x 5.000 mm foundation pit. To do this, there was tough work of co-design to match the press performances both in terms of space and in terms of process. For example, the press is prepared for the IMC process cycle, which foresees the injection of a primer paint inside the compression mold to obtain a uniform coating on the part before.